Strange ones
by Molize
Summary: AU. C/B. Two strange ones. A sweet voice, a devil smirk and a club. They run from their lives, but they didn't know they would run into each other.
1. A night like any other

**Title: **Strange ones

**Author: **Molize

**Summary: **AU. C/B. Two strange ones. A sweet voice, a devil smirk and a club. They run from their lives, but they didn't know they would run into each other.

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**Chapter 1. A night like any other.**

_A night like any other._ That's what Blair thought as she gave the last touches to her make up.

Her long brown hair was perfectly curled and pinned like a side bun to her left. Her skin was flawless. She has never liked too much make up, so she just applied the perfect amount in the correct places to define her features. What she couldn't deny was her Rouge Chanel lipstick, it was the most she could afford in the meantime, but it was enough, it reminded her of past days and it seemed men liked it.

A night like any other. It's supposed that when you are immersed into your job, practically every day and in her case, every night feels the same. Especially when it's not the job you always dreamed.

It was an understatement that she liked it, but not in her context. In another time, another place or another atmosphere she would go up the stage and enjoy her moment, because up there it was her moment, she was the only star shinning.

But, it was her opportunity, so when they offered her _this... _she accepted it. Maybe she could have found something more stylish or with a better payment, but she couldn't have taken that risk. She had tried everything so when she hearted the words _maybe you are what we are looking for_, Blair didn't think twice.

Blair remembered when she arrived home after signing her contract. Even it was early in the afternoon she went to her bed and cried. She cried until her eyes become dry. How could her life have turned into this mess? She was a queen, she was the perfect girl, she was the one who had the best marks at her school, she was a future Yale student,... Was, was, was.

That was it. Blair was no longer that girl. She lost her kingdom, her friends, her career, her future...

Everything began when her father, Harold Waldorf, exposed to her lovely wife and daughter that he was gay and he would live with his lover, a man of course, because he couldn't stand one more second there. Blair, shocked as she had been at that time, tried to understand her father. Okay, he was gay, he loved someone who was not her mother, and had to go away because it was love. Blair waited and waited for his comeback... he was supposed to comeback, wasn't he? He must still love her daughter, his own blood, his own genes... but no, he didn't come back.

Eleanor Waldorf, her mother, had been more shocked than Blair, if that was even possible. Blair remembered go to school in the morning and hear her mother's cries from the master bedroom, come home and still hear them, and go to sleep and still hear them. It was hell.

Home was hell, but school wasn't very much different. Her 'friends', if you could call them that, ran from her like the plague, and didn't waist time not thinking about cruel jokes about her family. All this make Blair find new ways of control. One day when her stomach couldn't make her lunch stay in there she went to the bathroom and throw up. And it felt good, it was strange, but it felt good.

So every time her 'best-friends' wanted to 'talk' to her; her mother criticized her for her outfits, her expensive ways or as she liked to proclaim 'all the things that made your father go away', she just nodded, went to the nearest bathroom, entered to the toilet, did it, and brushed her teeth. Control.

Control didn't last long. One day she exploded. Her lower marks, her lack of friends, her father, her mother's friendship to valium, her favourite past time in the bathroom that now made her weak. One remark and the next thing she remembered was she in full catfight pulling at Penelope's hair.

_Expelled_. Those were the only word she remembered from Mrs. Queller.

Blair went home frustrated, but she knew money would amend it, as always. However, it seemed that Eleanor's fashion career didn't go as well as expected. Her absence at work had been lethal to the incoming collections and there was not so much money to spend it in her child outburst.

A nightmare, her life had become a nightmare. Her former nightmares consisted in a broken heel, not this.

Her mother seemed to live in another world because all that she did was sleep. And one day her mother's wish came true. She didn't wake up. Apparently, it was not valium, but valium and alcohol, great amounts of valium and alcohol her daily basis.

After burying her mother Blair was alone. With even less money, no job, and father missing. He did not have the decency to appear. It was harsh to say it, but Blair hated his father with all her heart and soul.

She sold her house, her most expensive clothes and jewels and her parents' things. She just kept with her a few memories from her mother and a family photograph, just of her mother and herself.

With the money she obtained, she bought a little loft in Brooklyn and searched for a job. At seventeen and with an empty curriculum the task was pretty hard; nothing really decent opened their doors to her. Exhausted and desperate she went to this club and shown her abilities, her unknown abilities, and the job was hers.

By that time she was seventeen, and Blair had lived things that at least at twenty-five she shouldn't have, or never should have lived.

"Blair, it's time. They're waiting for you." Vanessa, the bartender, awoke Blair from her thoughts.

Blair brushed of her cheek the tear that has escaped and sat up of her vanity. "I'm coming." She said with a sweet smile.

She brushed the wrinkles of her red dress as she neared the side door to the stage. It was dark, the lights were off and the red velvet curtain was down.

She positioned herself in the middle and took a long breath.

The lights turned on, and the curtain began to open. The sound of clapping hands started as her form was revealed.

The first notes at the piano sounded and it was her sign to begin the show.

She closed her eyes and started to sing.

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**A/N: Multichapter story. What do you think about it? Reviews ^^**


	2. Dreams and saviours

**Title: **Strange ones

**Author: **Molize

**Summary: **AU. C/B. Two strange ones. A sweet voice, a devil smirk and a club. They run from their lives, but they didn't know they would run into each other.

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who read this story and everyone who reviewed the first chapter ^^

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**Chapter 2. Dreams and saviours.**

After an hour and a half up in the stage Blair was exhausted. Ninety minutes of seductive smiles and sensual moves of hips. This was her routine, an hour of her song program and half an hour of public request, and all the way she must look like they were the most appealing public in the world.

She thanked God for her always dreaming mind.

It was easy for her if she just thought she was in another place. In real life she was at Victrola, a little club in Brooklyn. It was a small place, decorated like an old tavern. Wooden floors, dark walls, a stage, and couches where clients could relax, have a drink and watch the show. In her mind, she was in another time, the 1940's or something like that. She was an acclaimed singer devoted to her listeners: ladies and gentlemen who enjoyed scotch and champagne talking about business deals and listening to her amazing voice.

However, back to reality, she was not that acclaimed singer. Obviously they liked her, she sang well, pretty well even when Blair didn't recognise that, but they enjoyed much more her butt or hips than her angelic voice, she was sure.

Ladies and gentlemen? Not exactly, there was not much of them at Brooklyn in the 2010's. Even though they were not hobos or underdogs like she had expected the first time she came here when her corrupted downtown-rich-girl vision invaded her mind; they were old average men, around the forties who talked about business deals. Not their own business, of course. The business deals of the big fishes they worked for.

It was a shame, this people worked possibly harder than any of these great magnates. Actually, they _did work_ harder that those great magnates. She knew. Once she had been between them, she had been daughter of them and had dreamed to become one of them.

However, she still dreamed about a law career, but Blair knew she would never turn into the type of lawyer who just wanted to make money and be famous. She would be a lawyer who would fight against injustice. Like the injustice in this place. Yes, that sounded like a promo for a Marvel film.

The saddest part was that even when she had the potential and the attitude to success, she would never be that, because she had no money and no fairy godmother dressed in an Emeregildo Zegna suit who will gave her that opportunity.

One day she read this fragment...

_¿Qué es la vida? Un frenesí._

_¿Qué es la vida? Una ilusión,_

_una sombra, una ficción,_

_y el mayor bien es pequeño:_

_que toda la vida es sueño,_

_y los sueños, sueños son._

_···_

What is life? A frenzy.

What is life? An illusion,

A shadow, a fiction,

And the greatest profit is small;

For all of life is a dream,

And dreams, are nothing but dreams.

These words reached her heart and make her awake of her fantasies, _Life is a dream, and dreams are nothing but dreams_. So she let her mind wander but didn't give it the chance to make her feet left the ground.

"Life is a roller-coaster." Blair sighed as she was seated in one of the stools in front of the bar.

She had just finished her performance and now it was her turn to relax a bit. She was waiting to Vanessa to finish attending some clients.

Vanessa had become one of her closest friends. It was funny to think that if Blair had never open her eyes to reality she would never had found friendship in her. With her curly dark brown hair, light blue eyes, tanned skin, her style and ways, she would have called her God-knows-what and never talk to her in her life. She was sure. But Vanessa was nice, funny and intelligent; something her ex-friends never had.

While seated there, Blair greeted a few men who approached her to congratulate her to her amazing show. She thanked them politely... Tom, Bill and Edward. They were frequent clients at Victrola and make her feel like a little girl after a ballet actuation at school every time they went to say her how good she was and blah, blah, blah. If she had knew her grandparents she hoped they had been like them.

As she waved her good-bye to them, she felt something touch her thigh, someone. Blair sighed and turned to said someone with a fake smile upon her face.

"Hey, gorgeous." The man said. Some people at the bar were like Tom, Bill and Edward; but others were like this... filthy. Blair was accustomed to this, however, that didn't mean she liked at all.

"Hi, I think your hand dropped to my thigh." Blair responded.

"Well, I think it's now in a better place, don't you think so?" He continued as his hand now ran upward. It seemed this was not the kind of guy who attended to formalities.

"No, so now, leave me alone." Blair hardened her tone as she pushed his hand off her.

He raised his brows as in disbelief. "Honey, don't say me you don't like it." He neared his face towards hers, a few more inches and their lips would lock.

Blair retreated backwards almost falling from her stool, which was impossible due to his arm rested in it. "I think it was pretty clear I don't like it."

"When you were singing you moved your body like you needed a good f..."

"Let me go or I'll scream." She cut what he tried to say.

"You won't. I know girls like you, you need to put that façade that says 'available'. Men like it; however, they are afraid to talk to you, but know they could, because your body says so. I am not afraid, so here I am." His mouth was nearer if that was possible. And Blair couldn't scream because the bastard was right. Where are your friends when you need them? Blair thought desperate. They weren't making a scene so nobody suspected Blair was in trouble.

"Excuse me." A female voice behind her appeared. It was Ann, the other bartender.

The ass hole was taken aback with the interruption. Blair sighed and turned around to look at the girl and gave her a look that screamed 'save me'.

"Yeah?" Blair asked.

"Your fiancé is waiting for you in the central couch." Ann continued as she handed Blair a martini. "Come on, I'll accompany you".

Blair took the drink, sat up and went to Ann, not before sending the monster her death glare.

Blair and Ann went in front the stage near the zone her 'fiancé' was waiting, and further enough to not be seen by the guy.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Blair said abruptly and took one of Ann's hands in hers. "The fiancé trick worked." Both girls giggled.

"Mmm." Blair tasted her drink. "But real martini? I thought they didn't exist here... A faux drink was enough..." Blair said.

"Actually, the fiancé idea and the martini weren't mine." A grin appearing in Ann features.

"What? Then who?" Blair now was confused.

"Thank him." Ann whispered in her ear. "There, in the central place." Ann disappeared and Blair was left alone in the middle of the club. She turned to look at her saviour.

He was alone, relaxed in the couch, in dark suit, tumbler in hand, watching intently the music Pete produced at the piano. He wasn't looking at her, probably he didn't expect her showing her gratitude.

There was something strange about him... something somber.

She couldn't let anyone think about her like an ungrateful woman, could she?

So she walked towards him.

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**A/N: Chuck's here, who do you think he is? The attacker or the saviour? I love your opinions and reviews. Anonymous reviews are enabled.**


	3. Whisper in the night

**Title: **Strange ones

**Author: **Molize

**Summary: **AU. C/B. Two strange ones. A sweet voice, a devil smirk and a club. They run from their lives, but they didn't know they would run into each other.

**A/N:** First of all, I have to say the biggest SORRY in history. A year without an update is pretty embarrassing. I could write an entire entry about the reason why I couldn't keep writing this, but there's no point in it, all of us have our problems. I will be honest, half of this chapter was written long ago, actually, before I posted the last one, but I didn't know how to continue this and I was afraid to write something that I wouldn't know how to end. Now, I can say that the storyline is defined, and this fanfic will continue. I won't tire you anymore with this A/N, but before I finish it's the turn of the biggest THANK YOU in history. I'm not very good at English, but knowing you liked this story and a year later I still received reviews asking me we I stopped writing this… it just swelled my heart. Thank you all.

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**Chapter 3. Whisper in the night.**

As Blair neared the central booth she could have a close look to the man when he still was focused on the stage.

From afar, with dim light he had seemed older to her with his serious expression (focused listening to the music) and choice of attire; however, being a few meters away, Blair could see he wasn't much older than her.

He was dressed almost in black with dark pants, shirt and suit jacket which made his skin look pretty pale. His appearance was punctuated with his dark brown hair in disarray but at the same time stylish. He was lounged in the couch as if he was at his living room with his feet on the small table in front of him, a tumbler in one hand, the other on his pocket.

Blair had admitted to herself she didn't approach him to say just a simple thank you, she was curious. She was curious to know why a young man, something difficult to find at that place, was at Victrola on a friday night when he could be at some party with his friends. That was surely what she would do if she could. If she was what once she had been. But no, the boy in front of her just sat alone in the dark.

For some reason, she wanted to know why he chose this place, why he sat and drunk alone, why he was in a situation Blair thought was not happiness, a situation that she had lived and didn't bring her happiness. She wanted to know if he wanted to be there or if there was no other choice to him, because either way he was like her or the total opposite to her.

It was strange because she has never thought about it looking to any other client at the club, somehow he 'intrigued' her. She had the need to ask.

Blair stood at his left so she wouldn't cross on his sight on the stage. Her martini almost untouched in her hand.

"I was wondering why my fiancé is all alone in a beautiful night like this." She said in a soft voice. Victrola was a rather calm place so it was not necessary to talk really loud to be hearted.

He was surprised of her presence. His eyes left the stage and his head turned towards her slowly, still lounged on the back of the couch, and their eyes connected.

She had to hold her breath.

"Beautiful? Well, that depends to whom." His voice was as velvet. Low and soft.

His response was sad but true. Surely it was a beautiful night, but she didn't felt it like that neither.

Her eyes left his and averted to the floor. Blair felt as the bravery she had had to approach him disappeared. His words confused her. She didn't know if she should take them as a simple statement or a way to tell her to go away.

It seemed like he has noted her quiver at his words so he continued.

"A beautiful night is pretty much a subjective thing. Definitely, I wouldn't say the same to your own beauty..." Blair looked up to his eyes and discovered he hadn't left looking at her. "Something much more universal, I would say." He finished almost in a whisper. She blushed crimson at his last words. His eyes still analysing her features.

After a few seconds of silence, Blair had the urge to say something.

"I... um... I don't know how..." Blair was a bit embarrassed, her words wouldn't come out without stuttering. "Well, you know... how to thank you... for the situation with that guy." Finally they came out. It was a bit silly, she was just saying thank you, not a confession of love.

He smiled. It was a little one.

"Don't worry about it. It was a pleasure. I didn't do it to gain something, your visit and thank you are priceless enough." He said reassuringly.

Now, it was her turn to return the smile. Blair had to recognise he was very charming. And handsome. It was an understatement she was in some way attracted to him. She had not many time to meet guys as she was always working day and night and the ones she met here were not what she searched.

This one was different.

"At least let me buy you another drink. It's the fairest... you even bought me a martini." Blair showed her drink to him as to remind him. Her offer amused him.

"I would gladly accept it, but..." He signalled the table in front of him, so she looked. There were at least five scotch glasses. "I fear if I get another one I will turn into something like your friend." Then, he signalled behind her.

Blair looked behind her, at the bar. Her 'friend' was still seated on the same stool devouring a beer. She didn't know how she had resisted slapping him to get away of her.

Blair returned her eyes to him.

"Ok." She chuckled. "I'm sure I wouldn't like that." It wasn't her lucky night, a good guy and no good excuses for her to make their encounter a bit longer. He looked again to the stage. Maybe her interest towards him was not exactly reciprocated.

"Could I make an exchange?" He asked seriously but still not looking at her.

"Excuse me?" Blair furrowed her brows. She was a bit taken aback due to his question, first because she thought he had finished their conversation and second, she had no idea what he meant with an exchange.

Her confused expression make him chuckle. "An exchange. Your drink offer to your company."

"Oh."

"You know... I wouldn't like to waist away my fiancé trick and refuse your offer." His expression turned into a smirk.

Blair laughed a bit. "I have to say your trick went well." She said as she seated cautiously at his side, not too near but not too far neither. She took a sip of her drink.

Then he extended his hand in front of her. Blair eyed him curiously.

"I'm Chuck."

"Oh, sorry." She laughed and took his hand as to shake it looking straight to his eyes. "Blair."

She was surprised when he moved her hand to his lips and kissed softly her knuckles. His action made shivers run up her spine and a nice blush to colour her cheeks.

"Wow, I didn't expect that." She looked down to her hand once he freed it from his. She didn't know how she could still feel his lips on it. It was a first.

"My fiancée deserves a proper greeting."

"Sure." She said as she rolled her eyes.

Both two relaxed on the couch and a comfortable silence stay between them as they listened to the music.

"So... what are you doing in a place like this?" Blair asked finally.

"A place like what?" Chuck responded not understanding what she meant.

"Like _this_." She answered simply looking around. "Too classic, not for people under their forties... at least." Her eyes returned to his face curious.

"Who said I'm not forty... at least?" Chuck mocked her tone as he raised his brow suggestively.

"Oh, please..." Blair scoffed.

"What's wrong with this place?" Chuck asked. "I was just walking around and I hearted that guy playing that song at the piano. I took a seat and then you came up the stage with your wonderful voice..." At that Blair smiled softly and looked to her drink. Every time he said something good about her she just blushed. "And then I think you know the rest of the story."

Blair just nodded. "I guess it's not the same when you work here every night." Her tone turned a bit sadder.

"Don't you like working here?" His was more serious.

"No." It came surprisingly fast from her mouth. She was stunned of her own response and it seemed so was he. "I like the concept of it, but not the place or that I live of it." She cleared. His stare was fixed on her, and she saw something on his eyes that told her she could talk to him. "It was not on the plan." She said with a sad smile upon her face.

Chuck nodded at her words. "May I ask you what was on the plan then?" He spoke delicately, as his words could move the past to the surface and it was not his intention to disturb her.

"Yale." She sighed and ran a hand through her curls. "It doesn't matter." Blair shrugged. "Life is not always as planned."

"True." Chuck took his tumbler and drunk in a gulp the rest of his scotch. "Anyway, Yale is not as marvellous as they say." His voice was rasp of the alcohol but also was printed with something she couldn't quite read.

"What do you mean?" Even when Yale was far from her horizons Blair had never change her mind about it.

"You know..." Chuck trailed off and eyed longingly to his empty scotch, then he searched for a waiter. It looked like this matter was out of his comfort zone. He sighed after he desisted of his search. "Nevermind." He left his glass on the table with the other ones.

Blair made as she hadn't witnessed his little struggle deciding if he wanted another glass of scotch or not. "Yale is perfect." She sighed in a dreamy voice. "And you are really charming trying to make me think it's not".

It was the truth. Every time she had told someone about her plans about Yale, they had said that obviously it would have been a great experience. Probably they said that because they had never been there and all that they knew about college and _that_ college were good words, but Blair really didn't care. She took their response as something she had done right in her life. Something she had dreamt right. It was not snobby or materialistic but cultural and self-improving.

"I would gladly lie to you about that if that would make you happier." His gaze become somehow warmer to her. But what really was warmer was her heart. It was silly, but that phrase was truly sweet.

Then he chuckled a little bit and continued. "But I'm saying the truth. Yale is not as amazing as to make you think your life without it is empty or something like that."

"That's obvious." Blair couldn't say her life was empty. "Maybe not empty, but incomplete".

"And 'Yale vacancy' only could be filled by Yale?" He seemed pretty interested in changing her opinion. Or that, at least, was what Blair thought.

"I can understand that for you, going there, to Yale… was a dream, and still is. But it's just a place. It's the materialization of your dreams concentrated in a little place in the face of the earth. But not the essence, it's not the dream itself. Did you asked yourself back then what did you wanted? Going to Yale? Or have a career? Your dream was going to a particular college or becoming a person that you would have been proud of?" When Chuck ended, silence embraced them. The intensity which they were looking in the eye at each other made it impossible for them to turn their gazes to another place, even if it was just an inch from their orbs.

"I… I don't know anymore, I don't know _her_ anymore." Blair finally answered with a bit of a struggle with herself. With all her might, she turned her gaze to the stage and slumped a little in the booth.

This time the silence became dense. Blair's mind was running fast. It was crowded with memories and she tried to search, tried to find the response to that question. _Why Yale? _Because of her father? Because of her friends? Because it was what everyone expected? Because it had been _really_ her dream? Obviously she knew the answer to that question right now but she wasn't sure it was the same back then.

She wasn't aware of it, but her features had frowned while deep in thought; as she wasn't aware that a strong hand approached her face and caressed her right brow. It was a gesture that woke her up from her reverie. She turned around again towards Chuck and eyed him curiously.

"I'm sorry if I made you upset." His expression was concerned as he retired his hand and put it on his leg.

At that statement Blair's eyes widened. "Oh, no, no, no, no." And she smiled softly. "You made me think, that's all. Really."

"Then I should stop saying pure nonsense, thinking too much is not good." Chuck chuckled returning the light mood to the conversation.

Blair didn't think at all that what Chuck had said was pure nonsense. In fact, aside from make her question herself about what was what she had truly wanted years ago, she wondered how he knew how to push the buttons in her head. It seemed that he knew what he was talking about. Had he fought for a childish dream? Had he done what everyone expected? Had he become a person he was proud of? Blair was on her way to ask him, she was really interested in knowing that answer because there was something about him that told her that they were alike in that aspect. However, a light vibration interrupted her.

Her gaze focused in the space between them as a black device vibrated and its screen lit. It was a cell phone.

Chuck stared at it as if he was wondering if the right thing to do was to take the call or not. In that time, Blair was able to read the caller ID before the phone stopped ringing. Just an _S_.

Chuck took the phone quickly and put it in the breast pocket inside his jacket. At this moment he seemed troubled for that call.

"I believe I have taken enough of your time." Chuck expressed with a little smile. It was pretty clear that he was not a smile type. In the time that they had shared, his were not the clearest expressions but this time, unlike the others it didn't reach his eyes. As he took her hand she thought he would kiss it again, but in this case he employed it to approach her. The space between them was non-existent and Chuck took the opportunity to lean forward and gave her a soft kiss in the cheek. If what she had felt when Chuck acknowledged her had been electrifying, that kiss was impossible to compare.

Her heart began to beat incredibly fast as their meeting was destined to end.

The feeling of his lips, warm over her ivory skin captivated her. If only had been that what captivated her…

"See you soon, Blair."

A whisper.

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**A/N:** A second encounter? Your reviews, comments and suggestions are welcomed, as always.


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